Brutality Blade
Soulknives find a variety of ways to train to bring out their signature weapon, the mind blade. Some must calm their minds, some visualize the weapon, and others recall a moment in time where they most wished they had the blade. Brutality blades conjure forth rage and hatred as their triggers for their weapons, and this reflects in their blade skills and the very nature of how they influence their blade - and how it influences them in return. Soul of Wrath (Ex) A brutality blade uses his Charisma instead of his Wisdom for any soulknife ability he gains, such as blade skills that rely on Wisdom for determining save DC. He also uses his Charisma instead of his Wisdom for abilities gained from prestige classes that advance his mind blade. Manifest Rage Blade (Su) At 1st level, the brutality blade can let his anger and hatred rise to the surface in a wild flood of psychic energies that alter his mind blade, changing it into a rage blade. While the rage blade is manifested, a brutality blade gains phenomenal psionic empowerment to his mind blade, but may harm himself by the reckless use of his power (see psychic enervation, on the next page). A brutality blade can choose to manifest his rage blade whenever he forms his mind blade or he may empower his already formed mind blade with this incredible wrath. A rage blade is always a single weapon and is never split like a normal mind blade can be - the brutality blade needs to keep his focus (if the brutality blade has used his form mind blade class feature to form two mind blades, he releases one of these to focus his power into the remaining mind blade). Rage blades may not be thrown and cannot be disarmed as the weapon is almost fused with the brutality blade’s body. When he manifests his rage blade, he increases the mind blade’s enhancement bonus by +1 (even if the mind blade normally does not have an enhancement bonus). The enhancement bonus boost gives him the ability to add special weapon properties (such as flaming ''or ''keen), or push the enhancement bonus of the weapon beyond its normal maximum from the enhanced mind blade class feature. For example, a 7th level brutality blade (+2) with a normally +1 keen mind blade ''using this ability on his mind blade would be able to add +2 to his enhancement mind blade class feature (increasing the mind blade’s enhancement bonus from +2 to +4), allowing him to increase the enhancement bonus to hit by +1 and adding ''flaming ''to make it a ''+2 keen flaming mind blade. Whenever the rage blade is manifested, the brutality blade may freely reconfigure the blade’s enhancements as if they had used the Improved Fluid Form blade skill (without suffering the penalties of using this blade skill), and when the rage blade is dismissed it returns to its usual form. If the brutality blade has the ability to manifest a mind shield or mind armor, the rage blade’s enhancement bonus increases do not affect their enhancement bonuses, and the formation of multiple items reduces each item’s enhancement bonus by 1. At 7th level, a brutality blade increases this enhancement bonus to his mind blade by two instead of one. At 13th level, he increases this enhancement bonus to his mind blade by three. These bonuses to the enhancement bonus of the rage blade equal a total bonus of +10 (not to exceed the +5 enhancement bonus maximum for attack and damage rolls). The brutality blade’s rage blade always is enhanced for the maximum amount possible, for unleashing such rage and hate in this fashion does not lend itself to using self-control. The brutality blade can manifest his rage blade for a number of rounds equal to 4 + his Constitution modifier. At each level after 1st, he can maintain his rage blade for 2 additional rounds. Temporary increases to Constitution, such as those gained from powers like animal affinity ''or spells like ''bear’s endurance, do not increase the total number of rounds that a brutality blade can maintain his rage blade per day. Once a brutality blade dismisses his rage blade, he loses psionic focus and is fatigued for 1d4+1 rounds and may not regain psionic focus during this time. A brutality blade can manifest his rage blade as a free action as part of manifesting his mind blade normally. The total number of rounds per day is renewed after resting for 8 hours, although these hours do not need to be consecutive. This replaces the throw mind blade class feature and the bonus feat gained at 1st level. Psychic Enervation (Ex): Pushing oneself by manifesting a rage blade is dangerous to one’s mind and body. Immediately following the manifesting of the rage blade, a brutality blade may be overcome by the strain of her effort, causing him to take 2 hit points of damage per brutality blade level. The chance of suffering psychic enervation is 10%. This ability functions identically to the wilder’s psychic enervation class feature and qualifies for prerequisites and requirements using this ability. Enhanced Mind Blade:The brutality blade’s mind blade is improved like a standard soulknife’s mind blade, including if the brutality blade creates two mind blades, except the enhancement bonus increases at a reduced rate, rather than every odd level, as indicated on Table: Brutality Blade Progression. This replaces the Enhanced Mind Blade class feature, but counts as Enhanced Mind Blade for prerequisites or requirements. Wrath Augments Starting at at 2nd level, a brutality blade may take a special, rarified form of blade skill they refer to as wrath augments. These abilities function as blade skills, may be selected by brutality blades when he would otherwise select a blade skill. This ability does not cause the brutality blade archetype to be incompatible with other archetypes that alter the blade skills class feature. ---- Blade Geyser: ''While manifesting a rage blade, the brutality blade may expend his psionic focus as a full round action and drive his blade into the ground at his feet, causing the blade to split beneath him and erupt into circle of blades around him. This blade skill functions as per the Whirlwind Attack feat. The brutality blade must be at least 4th level to select this blade skill. ---- ''Body of Rage: ''While manifesting a rage blade, the brutality blade with this wrath augment subsumes his rage blade as a swift action and grows in size as if he had used the ''expansion ''psionic power (using his class level as his manifester level to determine its effects). While in this form, his hands radiate raging psychic energy in the form of crude claws or knives. These claws are treated as light weapon forms of his mind blade except that they count as both natural and manufactured weapons. Bloody ectoplasm also forms blades on his body, which count as armor spikes. The rage blade takes a –1 to its overall enhancement bonus while manifested this way, but his both of his rage blades and his armor spikes share the same enhancement bonuses and weapon properties. This infusion of wrathful power is maintained as long as the rage blade is manifested. The brutality blade must be at least 10th level to select this blade skill. ---- ''Destroyer’s Will: ''While under the benefits of a raging surge, the brutality blade channels his boundless anger to shrug off magics and afflictions alike. The brutality blade may expend his psionic focus to reroll a failed Fortitude or Will saving throw as an immediate action. The brutality blade must be at least 4th level to select this blade skill. ---- ''Fountain of Blood: ''With this wrath augment, the brutality blade’s rage blade inflicts bleeding wounds when he activates his psychic strike or upon making a successful critical hit on a target creature. The target suffers 1d4 points of bleed damage for each psychic strike die the brutality blade possesses. This target creature bleeds each round until the wound is bandaged properly (DC 15 Heal check) or until magical healing (such as a ''cure ''spell) has been applied. The target can be subject to multiple bleeding wounds. The brutality blade must be 6th level to select this blade skill. ---- ''Hand of Hatred: ''The brutality blade’s wrath can be infectious, spreading to his allies and inspiring them to acts of rage. While in a raging surge, the brutality blade may expend his psionic focus as a swift action and share his raging euphoria bonuses with allies within 30 feet of his position while his rage blade is manifested. The brutality blade must possess the raging euphoria wrath augment to select this wrath augment. ---- ''Raging Euphoria: ''The brutality blade is capable of churning forth great anger and turmoil when his rage blade has manifested. While his rage blade is manifested, the brutality blade’s innate psionic energies empower his physical form with surging forces. This surge of rage and anger provides a +1 morale bonus to his attack and damage rolls. This bonus improves by +1 at 14th level and again at 20th level. These bonuses persist while the rage blade is manifested and end when the rage blade is dismissed. The brutality blade must be 8th level to select this blade skill. ---- ''Rend the Body: ''While under the benefits of a raging surge, the brutality blade with this wrath augment may unleash furious blows upon his target. When attacking a foe and unleashing his psychic strike ability upon them, he may expend his psionic focus to make a second attack at the same attack bonus upon the target. ---- '''Raging Surge (Su)' At 4th level, the brutality blade channels his emotions into a physical boost of energy that strengthens his body. A brutality blade can invoke a raging surge while manifesting his rage blade, and this surge is maintained while the rage blade is manifested. The brutality blade gains a +4 morale bonus to his Strength after invoking a raging surge. At 8th level, the brutality blade also gains a +2 morale bonus to Constitution during a raging surge. At 12th level, the morale bonus to Constitution increases by +2. At 16th level, the morale bonus to Strength increases to +6. At 20th level, the morale bonus to Constitution increases to +6. Hit points gained by increasing his Constitution score through a raging surge are lost first. Invoking a raging surge when manifesting his rage blade increases the risk of psychic enervation from 10% to 20%. This replaces the blade skills gained at 4th level and 12th level. Instantaneous Wrath (Su) At 5th level, the brutality blade may manifest his mind blade as a free action if he manifests it as a rage blade. This replaces the quick draw class feature. Wrath Perfected At 20th level, a brutality blade reaches the pinnacle of his wrath and his connection to his unending rage is so strong that it cannot be quenched. He no longer requires a Will save to maintain his mind blade in a null psionics field so long as his rage blade is manifested and it retains all enhancement bonus and special abilities. Additionally, the brutality blade’s hatred is so perfect with its purity that he no longer suffers a risk of psychic enervation when manifesting his rage blade. This replaces the mind blade mastery class feature. Category:Source: Psionics Augmented: Compilation II